According to information received by the Hana Human Rights Organization, three Kurdish citizens originally from Darreh Shahr in illam Province and residing in Karaj, who were detained by security forces during the nationwide January protests, have been sentenced to a combined total of nine years and three months of Ta’zir imprisonment.
The identities of these citizens have been verified as Mohammad Amin Shamsi, 29; Amir Amraei, 23; and Kamyar Amraei, 22. These individuals were arbitrarily arrested on January 9 and, following their transfer to an undisclosed location, were deprived of access to their families and legal representation for a period of time. Now, 143 days into their detention, they remain incarcerated in Ghezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, with each having been sentenced to three years and one month of Ta’zir imprisonment.
According to received reports, these three political prisoners were repeatedly subjected to beatings during their detention and underwent interrogation in solitary confinement for 10 days. Furthermore, informed sources have described their physical and psychological conditions as deteriorating, raising profound concerns regarding their health, safety, and the conditions of their confinement.
In this regard, Mohammad Amin Shamsi has filed an appeal against the issued verdict, and his case has been forwarded to the relevant judicial authority for appellate review. However, the deprivation of the defendants’ effective access to independent legal counsel during the stages of arrest, interrogation, and trial severely undermines the credibility of the judicial process and their capacity to mount an effective defense.
The Hana Human Rights Organization emphasizes that arbitrary arrest, transfer to undisclosed locations, denial of family contact and visitation, deprivation of legal counsel, interrogation in solitary confinement, and reports of beatings constitute severe violations of the defendants’ fundamental rights and the principles of a fair trial. Such actions overtly contravene the human rights obligations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the absolute prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, the right to liberty and security of person, the right of families to be informed of a detainee’s status, the right to legal counsel, the right to an effective defense, and the right to a fair hearing by a competent, independent, and impartial tribunal.
Hana further notes that the employment of prolonged detention, security pressures, denial of legal representation, and solitary confinement against protest detainees paves the way for the issuance of draconian sentences devoid of fair trial standards. Any criminal conviction predicated upon confessions extracted under duress, ill-treatment, denial of counsel, or violations of the right to defense lacks legitimacy and validity from a human rights perspective.
Expressing profound concern over the plight of Mohammad Amin Shamsi, Amir Amraei, and Kamyar Amraei, the Hana Human Rights Organization calls for an immediate, independent, and impartial investigation into the reports of ill-treatment. Hana demands guaranteed access for the detainees to their families and independent legal counsel, a fair and transparent review of the cases at the appellate level, and the full observance of these prisoners’ legal and human rights.